CNN BREAKING NEWS

Michael Skakel Transported to Holding Facility

Aired June 7, 2002 - 12:54 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Keeping our eyes on a live picture from Norwalk, Connecticut, waiting for the departure of Michael Skakel. He will leave in a prison or jail van, be taken to the Bridgeport Correctional Center, having been convicted in the murder of Martha Moxley. That verdict came down earlier today -- lots of coverage on that -- that to the surprise of many, including his defense attorney, Mickey Sherman, who says he will appeal that verdict.

We will check back in Norwalk, Connecticut. It looks like we are seeing Michael Skakel. All right, apparently, right before we went there, we saw him get in the van. We had heard word that, in the courthouse, he was led away in handcuffs, once again, going from this courthouse, where he was found guilty, to the Bridgeport correctional facility.

The judge in the case has denied bail. His defense attorney, Mickey Sherman, also asked for that. So, he will remain in custody, as we understand it, until July 19, when he is sentenced for the murder of Martha Moxley, a murder taking place almost 27 years ago. The Moxley family -- or certain members of that family believe that Michael Skakel should now serve 27 years, because that's how many years they have been without Martha Moxley.

Let's bring our Deborah Feyerick in, who has been covering this story for a number of months.

Deb, much has been made of the age of Michael Skakel. He is now 41 years old, even though he was 15 when this murder was committed. It is also a good reminder that Martha Moxley would have been 41 years old as well. And you think of all of the life that she missed, having been murdered at the young age of 15.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And that's what's really sad about this whole thing, is that there were two lives that were essentially destroyed that night. And that's why the Moxley family was just so intent -- Daryn, by the way, you can see the car is pulling out, the van is pulling out. Michael Skakel is inside that. His hands are shackled. He is being taken away.

I don't whether you can hear it, but some people who have actually come to watch this whole thing, are actually clapping as this van goes to Bridgeport correctional facility, where he is going to be taken. That's the audience right there. They clapped not only when this van pulled out. They clapped after Mrs. Moxley came to the podium and also after prosecutors spoke. And some people there are running after the van, as a matter of fact, trying to get some photographs of Michael Skakel.

And, again, getting back to the point that you raised, that is the tragedy of all this of this, 27 years ago, a very long time. And some of Martha Moxley's friends were sitting in the courthouse. And I spoke to one of them. And she said: "You know, I sometimes don't know whether it helps or hurts Mrs. Moxley for me to be here," because she said: "Here I am. I have a husband. I have children. I have everything that Martha never had a chance to have."

And yet, at the same time, she said she felt she was giving comfort to Mrs. Moxley -- Mrs. Moxley saying, "If you have any pictures, any mementos of Martha, please, please, please give them to me," because she just ran out of pictures after the age of 15 -- Daryn.

KAGAN: A sad ending, you're right, for two lives here, two lives affected at the age of 15 back in 1975.